Mobile street cleaning apparatus



Jan. 20, 1970 c. J. HARRISON MOBILE STREET CLEANING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 13, 1967 mm Wu a M 1 N om mvENToR. 59 u. H14 [QR/SON CHARL A I TOR/V5 rs Jan. 20, W70 c. J. HARRISON MOBILE STREET CLEANING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 13, 1967 SAQQQQQ Jan. 20, 1970 c. J. HARRISON MOBILE STREET CLEANING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July 13, 1967 Sucion Chamber f:

a m M 5 2 N A Mm Q T O w. N S H m m E d f W? V DH y e N o m m M 2 g 1 A MN mm m 3 M H K J 5 m M. H C

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,490,090 MOBILE STREET CLEANING APPARATUS Charles J. Harrison, Box 12, Elbert, Colo. 80106 Filed July 13, 1967, Ser. No. 653,059

Int. Cl. A471 /00, 7/00, 9/00 US. Cl. 15339 16 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to apparatus for cleaning streets and more particularly to mobile street cleaning apparatus for removing vegetation and like material from hard surface streets.

Vegetation and particularly leafy material has a tendency to collect in substantial quantities on street surfaces and particularly in irregular surface portions and gutters along the sides of the streets. After becoming Wet such vegetation becomes caked or matted and adheres to street surfaces. Accordingly, an object of this inven tion is to provide a simple, durable and easy to use apparatus for removing vegetation such as leafy material from street surfaces.

Another object of this invention is to provide novel street cleaning apparatus which will effectively dislodge collected vegetation from hard street surface and contour irregularities in such street surfaces.

Still another object of this invention is to provide mobile street cleaning apparatus which will elevate by an air flow effect vegetation collected on various types of hard street surfaces.

It is a further object of this invention to provide street cleaning apparatus in which vegetation elevated by an air suction efifect is broken up or shredded prior to delivery to a storage receptacle.

Still a further object of this inveniton is to provide a novel combined self-propelled vehicle and street cleaning apparatus capable of removing vegetation from various shapes and contours of hard surface streets.

Other objects, advantages, and capabilities of the present invention will become more apparent as the following description proceeds taken in conjunction with the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of street cleaning apparatus mounted on a self-propelled vehicle embodying features of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of the street cleaning apparatus mounted on a self-propelled vehicle as shown in FIG. 1 with the dump position of the storage receptacle and a take away box indicated in dash lines;

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the suction chamber and associated brush assemblies for removing vegetation from a street surface with the direction of air flow and impeller rotation indicated by arrows;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary side elevation View of the flap assembly shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along lines 55 of "ice FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along lines 66 of FIG. 3 and drawn to an enlarged scale showing a preferred construction of the rotary brush member;

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of the power source and hydraulic motor and control system for powering the vehicle and storage apparatus carried by the vehicle as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2; and

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of the power source and hydraulic motor and control system for powering the driven components of the cleaning apparatus as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

Referring now to the drawings FIGS. 1 and 2 the street cleaning apparatus is shown as mounted on a selfpropelled vehicle for movement along the street surface being cleaned which also includes the required power for the vehicle and storage apparatus. While a self-propelled vehicle of the cleaning type is shown using gasoline engines for powering hydraulic motors in a preferred arrangement, it is understood that the apparatus which performs the street cleaning function may be actuated by other forms of self-propelled vehicles or carried by a chassis drawn along the street by a separate vehicle such as a tractor, truck or the like.

As shown, the vehicle in general comprises a horizontally disposed frame 3 carried by spaced rear wheels 4 interconnected by an axle 5 and a front wheel 6 disposed forwardly of the rear wheels and offset to the right side of the vehicle. A drivers station is provided to the right of the vehicle which includes a seat 8, steering wheel 9, and control levers 10 for the cleaning apparatus controls. A cab is usually provided to enclose the drivers station but has been deleted for purposes of clarity.

The surface cleaning apparatus mounted on the vehicle in general includes a suction chamber 12 carried by the frame 3 in an overhanging relation and proximity to a surface being cleaned which surface is generally designated by numeral 13 and is usually a street paved with concrete or asphalt. A pair of spaced left and right side sweeper assemblies 14 and 15 are disposed forwardly of the suction chamber and a rotary brush member 16 is pivotally mounted rearwardly of the intake of the chamber and which extends transversely of the direction of travel. An adjustable flap assembly .17 extends from the forward sweeper assemblies rearwardly and behind the rotary brush member.

The material discharged from the suction chamber is passed rearwardly and upwardly through a conduit or passage 18 to an elevated point in a storage receptable 19 carried on a rearward portion of the vehicle. A shredding or pulverizing member 21 is disposed in the passage between the chamber and the storage receptacle.

The power or motive means provided for the vehicle and associated street cleaning apparatus is a gasoline engine 22 carried at the front and a gasoline engine 23 carried along the side of the frame, and coupled to different parts as described more fully hereafter. While gasoline engines and a hydraulic system are shown and described herein as a preferred form of motive means and control, it is understood that various other forms of mobile power may be utilized such as electric power.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 the suction chamber 12 in a preferred form comprises a housing of a generally cylindrical shape inclusive of a closed top wall 24, a closed circular shaped side wall 25 and a fiat bottom wall 26 closing a portion of the bottom of the housing and defining an intake opening 27 in spaced relation between its forward and rearward ends which is disposed over and in spaced proximity to the street and through which the leafy and like material being cleaned from the street surface is drawn. The suction chamber 12 may be characterized as having an essentially low profile because the height of the side wall is of substantially lesser dimension than its radius. For raising and lowering the housing to accommodate various surface elevations there is provided a hydraulic actuator or piston 30 which is connected to the forward top surface of the top wall and extends forwardly and upwardly to a stationary surface on the frame 3.

A preferred shaping for the intake opening 27 is an annular forward portion 27a which is generally concentric with the side wall 25 and a rearward linear portion 27b which is transverse of direction of movement and forwardly of the axis of rotation of the rotary brush 16. The discharge passage 28 of the chamber is formed along and through the side wall 25 and extends generally tangentially with respect thereto so that the air flow through the discharge passage of the housing is similar to that of a centrifugal fan.

For producing an air flow suction effect within the housing there is provided a vertically disposed shaft 29 which is rotatably mounted at the center of the housing and four radially extending blades 31 each disposed at substantially right angles. These impeller blades are mounted at the lower end of the shaft and extend outwardly therefrom in spaced proximity to the side walls and are essentially horizontally disposed with portions inclined to the horizontal. Rotation of the shaft 29 pro duces a suction effect at the intake opening to draw material up into the chamber 12 and discharges it into the discharge passage 28.

The sweeper assemblies 14 and are disposed forwardly of the suction chamber 12 (FIG. 3) and its intake opening. Each of these sweeper assemblies 14 and 15 incluude plural paddle-like members 32 which are secured in a depending manner from spaced vertically mounted left side and right side shafts 33 and 34. Preferably, this arrangement includes four blades disposed at 90 intervals. As shown in FIG. 3, each paddle-like member is secured at their inner end portions to the periphery of the asosciated shaft and extend in tangential relation with the associated shaft so that each paddle-like member is essentially nonradial with the shaft to facilitate the sweeping along street curbs and the like. The inner extremities of the paddle-like members are disposed outwardly and rotate inwardly in opposite directions so as to dislodge and then direct material inwardly toward the forward end portion of the housing. Each assembly is driven by means of a motor 38 and 39 connected to each shaft 33 and 34, respectively.

A preferred form of construction for each paddle-like member is shown in FIG. 5 and comprises a generally U-shaped top piece 35 secured to the associated shaft and a forward piece 36 of flat and thin shaping and formed of a resilient material such as rubber, and a rearward piece 37 of similar shaping disposed in side-by-side relation thereto. Pieces 36 and 37 are carried at their upper end portions in the top piece 35. The rearward piece provides a degree of rigidity to the paddle-like member and is preferably of a metal such as steel.

The rotary brush member 16 (FIG. 1) is pivotally mounted from an elevated point on the housing by a pair of elongated arms 41 and 42 positioned on each side thereof and pivotally secured at their upper ends to the side wall and each extend downwardly and rearwardly. and the outer end portions of the rotary brush members are rotatably mounted in suitable hearings in the rearward end portions of these arms so as to dispose the forward surface of the rotary brush member in spaced proximity to the rearward portion 27b of the intake opening.

This pivotal mounting permits the peripheral surface of the brush member 16 to ride on and engage the street surface and move upwardly and downwardly in a depending manner from an upper pivot point to adjust an elevation for different street surface contours. A set screw 43 is provided on each side and mounted to engage the associated arm so as to limit the extent of downward movement of the rotary brush member 16. For moving the rotary brush member forwardly in a clockwise direction, as shown in FIG. 1, to sweep material upwardly toward the intake opening 27 there is provided a motor 44 suitably coupled to the shaft portion thereof.

A preferred construction for the rotary brush mem ber 16 is shown in FIG. 6 wherein there is provided an inner support member 46 of generally tubular or cylindrical shaping. A plurality of lengths of Wire wound material, such as metal cable 47, are carried by the inner support member throughout its lengthwise extent. These cables 47 are arranged to extend radially of the inner support member and have end portions 48 which pass through apertures in the wall of the inner support member and extend a substantial distance beyond the periphery of the support member and these end portions are unravelled or spread into its separate wire strands which flare out, as shown, to form the bristle portion of the rotary brush member. Adjoining lengths of cable are arranged in transverse or right angle-relation with the inner portions of alternate cables being generally parallel. Suitable means are provided to secure the cables to the inner support member.

The depending flap assembly 17 is preferably of tWO- piece construction as shown in FIG. 4 and includes an upper stationary portion 51 and a lower movable portion 52. The lower portion is slidably interconnected with the upper portion by means of a plurality of slots '53 arranged in spaced relation lengthwise of the upper portion and adapted to receive in slidable relation a plurality of upstanding members 54 arranged in spaced relation lengthwise of the lower portion which are held at the lower position by a plurality of stops 55. In this manner the lower portion 52 may move vertically to adjust the contour to the street surface. In addition, the lower portion 52 is preferably of a flexible material such as rubber and will bend to adjust to the contour of the street surface.

As viewed in FIG. 3, the depending flap assembly 17 includes side portions 17a which extend inwardly and rearwardly from the forward sweeper assemblies 14 and 15 to a point rearwardly of the intake opening 27 and a rear portion 17b extend transversely of the direction of travel so as to assist in confining the air flow between the street surface and the bottom Wall of the housing and hold material for pickup by the air suction produced in the chamber.

The discharge conduit 18 extends rearwardly of the discharge outlet 28 of the suction chamber and bends upwardly along its intermediate portion and terminates in an upright portion below the receptacle 19. This conduit is sutficient in section to pass the vegetation elevated by the suction chamber. The shredding member 21 is mounted in the bend of the conduit 18 for rotation in suitable bearings in the conduit side Wall about a generally horizontal axis. The shredding member 21 includes diamond-shaped end portions 57 and 58 with rod mem bers 59 extending from each of the four corners of the end portions transversely of the conduit 18. A motor 60 is suitably coupled to one of the end portions to r0- tate the shredding member 21 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 1. Upon rotation of the rod members to dispose in spaced relation in the discharge conduit the leafy material is contacted and shredded 0r pulverized during its travel in the discharge conduit without materially obstructing the air flow produced by the suction chamber.

The storage receptacle 19 is supported on a rearward portion of the frame 3 and includes upright side walls 61 and 62 one of which is inclined outwardly and upward ly and terminates at its upper end in a spout portion 62a and upright end walls 63 and 64 and a bottom wall 65 and a top Wall 66. The top wall 66 has a hinged portion 66a which opens upon and about a centrally disposed pivot point during discharge of the material by dumping of the receptacle.

The receptacle 19 is pivotally supported on an upright support structure 68 disposed along one side of the frame 3 by means of forward and rear hinged members 71 and 72 pivotally supported at the upper end of the support structure 68 and secured to the upper portion of the inclined side wall 62 of the receptacle so that upon the pivot of the hinged member about its pivot point on the support, the receptacle will rotate from an upright receiving position to a dump or discharge position as shown at 70 in broken lines in FIG. 2. In the dump position the spout portion is disposed above a takeaway box 73 on a truck or the like.

A lever 74 is interconnected at one end to the pivot of the top lid and at the other end to a rod 75 which extends toward one side of the receptacle to a pivot point on a stationary support 68 so that when the receptacle is pivoted to the dump position the top lid 66a will move to the open position.

Interiorly of the storage receptacle 19 there is provided an upstanding stack member 77 disposed in flow conducting relation with and forming an extended portion of the discharge passage 18. This stack member bends rearwardly at its upper end and is open so as to discharge vegetation into the storage receptacle adjoining its top. A screen member 78 is provided in the stationary portion of the top wall substantially along its lengthwise extent and above the discharge of the stack member to provide a path for a continuous movement of air through the suction chamber and out the top of the storage receptacle. Suitable seals 79 are provided between the lower end of the screen member 78 and the upper end of the discharge conduit 18.

The interconnection of the power sources with the hydraulic motors and associated driven members is illustrated in schematic form in FIGS. 7 and 8 rather than showing them in detail in the structural forms of FIGS. 1 and 2 for clarity. Front engine 22 provides the power for the rear wheels 4, the lift for suction chamber 12, the steering for front wheel 6 and the dump for the receptacle 19. A first hydraulic pump 81 is connected between output of the engine 22 and a hydraulic motor 82 which is coupled to the rear wheels 4. A second pump 83 is connected to the output shaft of the engine 22 and through separate lines supplies hydraulic fluid to a hydraulic motor or actuator 30 for lifting suction chamber 12, a hydraulic actuator 40 connected to front wheel 6 for turning the front wheel and a hydraulic motor 84 connected at the pivot of the receptacle for dumping the receptacle 19. Each of these hydraulic motors 30, 40, 82 and 84 are preferably of the type having a built-in valving arrangement with a neutral by-pass so that they may be separately regulated by separate lever controls illustrated schematically for each control which are located at the station and in this manner the movement of the vehicle, the elevation of the chamber, the steering of the vehicle and the dump of the receptacle may be independently controlled while the engine 22 is running continuously.

The other engine 23 provides power to the impeller blades 31, the shredder assembly 21, the forwardly disposed left and right side sweeper assemblies 14 and and the rotary brush member 16. A hydraulic pump 86 supplies fluid to motor 87 which is connected to the shaft 29 carrying impeller blades 31. Another hydraulic pump 88 provides hydraulic fiuid through separate lines to motors 60, 44, 38 and 39 each of which are connected to the shredding assembly 21, rotary broom 16, and left and right side sweeper assemblies 14 and 15, respectively. A clutch 91 is connected between the output of engine 23 and the pumps 86 and 88 so as to provide means to engage and disengage these pumps so that all of the members driven thereby may be simultaneously engaged and disengaged by the controlling of clutch 91 while the engine 23 runs continuously.

In the overall sequence of operation then, engagement of the clutch 91 will rotate the blades 31, the forwardly disposed left and right side sweeper assemblies 14 and 15, the rotary brush 16 and the shredder assembly 21 as the vehicle is moved along the surface by the running of engine 22. The vegetation disposed on the street surface in the path of the vehicle is first dislodged and directed inwardly by the side sweeper assemblies 14 and 15 and rotary brush 16 and then drawn or sucked up into the suction chamber 12 through the intake opening 27 by the rotation of the impeller blades 31. It is then directed by centrifugal action through the discharge opening 28 in the chamber and then passed through passage 18 and is then broken up or pulverized by the shredding assembly 21 prior to being elevated under the air flow produced by the suction chamber through the discharge opening of the stack portion 77 and then discharged into the receptacle 19. When the receptacle 19 is filled it may be dumped by the driver actuating the associated control lever of motor 84, which will elevate the receptacle to a dumping position as shown at in FIG. 2.

Typical dimensions of apparatus shown in the drawings for the suction chamber 12 are: housing outer diameter, 5 feet; housing height, 14 inches; impeller span 4 feet, 10 inches; and impeller blade pitch 48 degrees. Typical rotational speeds of the impeller blades are about 1200 rpm. and the shredder assembly about 3200 r.p.m.

I claim:

1. Mobile cleaning apparatus for removing vegetation and like material from the surface of paved streets and the like, comprising a mobile support assembly, a forward suction chamber carried by said support assembly and including top, side and bottom wall portions, materialgathering means forwardly of the suction chamber for delivering gathered material thereto and including surfacecontacting sides defining an entrance, an interconnecting rear portion of lesser width than the entrance connected to said suction chamber, and surface-sweeping means at the forward ends of said sides directing dislodged material into the entrance area, said bottom wall having an overhanging intake opening forwardly of the interconnecting rear portion and within the entrance area, horizontallydisposed sweeping means having surface-contacting portions sweeping forwardly into surface contact for directing delivered material toward the overhanging intake opening of said suction chamber, impelling means disposed within the housing for producing an elevating air flow in said chamber to draw dislodged material upwardly into said chamber from the surface below said intake opening, an upper receptacle carried by said support assembly for storing said material, passage means for conducting material from the suction chamber to an elevated point of discharge into said storage receptacle, and shredding means in said passage between said suction chamber and said storage receptacle for shredding bulky portions of said material as such portions are in elevated movement toward said storage receptacle.

2. Mobile cleaning apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the suction chamber is generally cylindrical in shaping with a discharge passage in the side wall extending in tangential relation with the cylindrical side Walls.

3. Mobile cleaning apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said impelling means includes at least two blades disposed for rotation about an upright axis of rotation.

4. Mobile cleaning apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the height of said side wall portion is of a dimension of substantially lesser extent than its radius, said blades are generally flat and said bottom wall portion is generally fiat to provide a suction chamber having an essentially low profile.

5. Mobile cleaning apparatus as set forth in claim 1, in which said surface-sweeping means are arranged for rotation in opposite directions with the forward sweep directed inwardly of said entrance.

6. Mobile cleaning apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said surface-sweeping means includes at least one sweeping assembly inclusive of a rotary shaft disposed at shaft.

an elevated position on the support assembly and a plurality of paddle-like members mounted on said shaft and extending downwardly therefrom for contact at their lower end portions with the street surface.

7. Mobile cleaning apparatus as set forth in claim 6, wherein said paddle-like members extend outwardly and in tangential relation with said shaft.

8. Mobile cleaning apparatus as set forth in claim 6, wherein each said paddle-like member is arranged in a circumferential pattern at substantially right angles on said 9. Mobile cleaning apparatus as set forth in claim 6, wherein each of said paddle-like members includes a forward resilient portion and a rearward rigid portion.

10. Mobile cleaning apparatus as set forth in claim 1, in which said sides are disposed at oblique angles to said interconnecting rear portion to define therewith an entrnace area narrowing progressively in a rearward direction.

11. Mobile cleaning apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said sides include an adjustable surface-engaging portion of resilient material.

12. Mobile cleaning apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said shredding means includes a plurality of elongated rod-like members disposed in spaced. relation for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis in said passage means.

13. Mobile cleaning apparatus as set forth in claim 12, wherein said rod-like members are disposed in an essentially diamond shaped configuration.

14. Mobile cleaning apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said receptacle includes an upper discharge portion and is pivotally mounted on an upstanding portion of said support assembly for pivotal movement of the receptacle from an upright position to an extended position for discharging material stored therein onto a takeaway vehicle disposed on one side of said moblie support vehicle.

15. Mobile cleaning apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein a portion of said passage means includes an upright conduit supported on the bottom wall of said receptacle and extending to a point in spaced proximity to the said top wall of said receptacle.

16. Mobile cleaning apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said passage means includes a horizontal stretch between said intake opening and said shredding means, and an upright stretch between said shredding means and said storage receptacle.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,530,720 11/ 1950 Paulson 15-82 2,677,223 5/1954 Schwarz 56-501 2,689,368 9/1954 Finnell 15-180 X 2,809,389 10/1957 Collins et al. 56-501 3,186,021 6/ 1965 Krier et al. 15-340 FOREIGN PATENTS 596,121 8/1925 France. 1,217,672 12/1959 France.

528,899 7/193 1 Germany ROBERT W. MICHELL, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 1587, 340 

